TAG: Networking

Doug Fleenor introduced a number of new products this year to help with connecting and programming fixtures and control systems.

Their new 124 splitter is designed as a budget-friendly alternative to their 123 and 125 splitters. The 124 will list at $412 J and features the choice of 3-pin or 5-pin inputs and outputs in a smaller form factor than the 123 or 125. The key difference (other than the form-factor) is that outputs are not individually isolated from each other unlike in the more expensive units.

The Ethernet to Ethernet converter is designed to simplify translation of 4-universes of control between ArtNet and sACN. This stand-alone, 1ru device has (2) etherCON connectors on the back and can be configured with either protocol as the input and output. Configuration is via a web browser connected to either port. List price will be $1,700.

Rounding out the control devices, there is updated firmware for the RAD (Remote Addressing Device) which adds the ability to set personality as well as address, for fixtures using the RDM protocol.

Finally, they have added a 208V version of their DMX1Relay to allow remote switching of a single 20A, 208V circuit.

Enttec has created a bunch of new options to assist with networking and LED tap/pixel mapping control. First up, is their new Hyperion HP1 intelligent gigabit switch. Designed to be a simple plug and play rack mountable network switch that can be easily integrated into almost any system. With 6x front etherCON connectors and 2x rear connectors, the ability to easily configure, and ability to prioritize professional lighting protocols this switch has it all.

Next up, is their new Pixel Port unit. Designed to be a more portable an all in one unit that you can build into your set pieces so that you can get control/power to your pixel controllable LED tape. Each unit has a powerCON in & thru, etherCon in & thru, and 4 pin DMX output.

Finally, we thought this was neat, if you ever wanted LED tape on a black background, Enttec can hook you up as all their tape comes on both black & white ribbons now. The black ribbon blends in a lot better if you wanted to make it disappear on a dark surface!

Newly optimizedfor the North American 120V market their XSD-S3 is a portable, fully RDM enabled single channel sine wave dimmer. The Swisson sine wave dimming technology has many advantages over conventional phase control dimming. As the form of the AC sine wave is always preserved, it does not produce any filament sing or electrical disturbances which could affect audio or video equipment. The output voltage and current are electronically regulated, ensuring a stable and safe output to a wide range of different loads. This also enables the dimmer to compensate fluctuations in the mains supply and detect short circuits, all while operating with a very high efficiency.

The XSD-S3 can be controlled over DMX in an 8-bit or 16-bit mode, by 0-10V analog input, and manually with the encoder knob on the device. DMX and device-specific settings, such as dimmer curves or output response time, can be changed over RDM as well as directly on the dimmer, thanks to its bright OLED display. The extensive but intuitive user interface can also display detailed sensor information and offers simplified troubleshooting by issuing notifications in case something goes wrong.

XES-8G is Swisson's brand-new 8-port 1000 MBit Ethernet switch with a redundant power supply. Its ease of use makes it a perfect fit for smaller and midrange productions with demanding requirements.

As a layer 2 switch, the XES-8G is generally unaware of the application and therefore it works well with any protocol that operates on top of TCP/IP and with many Ethernet1) based protocols. However, special precautions have been taken to ensure that the XES-8G works perfectly with Art-Net, sACN and Dante. The Art-Net specification, for example, expects the controller to only send data every few seconds or when an update is available. A typical switch might put itself into sleep mode when no traffic is observed, not so the XES-8G; it stays ready to forward data anytime without a delay.

With the XND-8, Swisson extends the XND product line with a rack-mountable, 8-port Ethernet to DMX converter. Like the XND-4 nodes, the 8-port nodes support sACN (draft and release version) and Art-Net. RDM is supported for Art-Net outputs. Each port can be individually configured to output an arbitrary sACN or Art-Net universe.

The XND-8 Ethernet to DMX converters are, like the XND-4 nodes, easy to configure via the graphic OLED display and offer the possibility to protect your device with a password, in order to prevent unauthorized tampering with the device's settings. This and some more improvements are also coming with the new firmware release for the XND-4 as well as for the XPD-28.